


A sunny day in Coerthas

by zeroism



Series: the violet voice [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Au Ra Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Spoilers, Lalafell Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), M/M, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-24 01:24:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20350063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeroism/pseuds/zeroism
Summary: He could just picture, in surroundings not quite as harsh or cold, E'zarh could cuddle into himself for a rest and the sun would go out of its way to make a warm spot for him to relax under.Yes, to Haurchefant, E'zarh was...





	A sunny day in Coerthas

**Author's Note:**

> Set... any time before the end of 2.55, but also includes a spoiler for 3.0.

"Pray forgive me if this is an insensitive question," is how Haurchefant breaks the pleasant silence that hung between them in that cold day in Camp Dragonhead, "I must admit I do not know much about the Miqo'te..."

That much had been true— there were not many of their kind up north, Haurchefant far more used to sharing his space with fellow Elezen and occasionally Hyur; his few feline acquaintances had been almost exclusively women. Curiosity, more than anything, was the root of his musings. Not curiosity about the Miqo'te in general, however, but in fact, about the one standing in front of him.

After what seems to be a moment of deliberation, E'zarh nods, humming into his rapidly cooling mug of hot cocoa. "Ask away, my friend."

Haurchefant feels a smile tugging away at his lips; how it pleases him, to have the title he'd given to the young man mirrored at him so promptly. Truly, it seems like E'zarh can put smiles on his face as effortlessly as breathing.

That, in part, was the core of the question at the tip of his tongue.

For in Haurchefant's mind, even in the short time they'd known each other, E'zarh had become associated with a few many things.

_ Combat and trouble _ , certainly, as those seemed to follow the Scions wherever they went, their presence a clear herald of primals. But other things as well, many positive ones.  _ A helping hand _ being most relevant, as Haurchefant found himself often in need of reaching out to it.

But, most of all, E'zarh was warmth and light. What with his glowing hair and dark skin, and that smile he always seemed to wear when stepping into the walls of Camp Dragonhead. So warm were the eyes he hid under the wide brim of his hat, Haurchefant swore the snow perpetually resting upon the stone paths was a little bit thinner when the man arrived. Perhaps that was why he hid them, lest the world be burned away by his brightness. He could just picture, in surroundings not quite as harsh or cold, E'zarh could cuddle into himself for a rest and the sun would go out of its way to make a warm spot for him to relax under.

Yes, to Haurchefant, E'zarh was...

"Again, apologies if I am touching upon something personal... But might you be a Seeker of the Sun or a Keeper of the Moon?" Haurchefant manages to spit out, hands clasped in front of him, resting on the desk. He so dearly hoped he wasn't committing some terrible faux pas by asking, or that he was mistaken about the nature of Miqo'te folk altogether. "I must admit I have my own suspicions about the answer, but my knowledge may be far too limited to make an educated guess..."

There's a beat of silence, and Haurchefant is about to curse himself for his foolishness, _of course simply coming out and asking such questions was in poor taste_, before he hears E'zarh huff out a soft laugh.

Oh, how that sound made bis heart sing. Would Haurchefant one day be able to hear him laugh loud and unrestrained, unafraid of who may be listening? Would he ever be worthy of such grace?

"I see it's not as obvious to outsiders as I figured. Allow me to give you a hint," E'zarh answers, softly, eyes bright with amusement. "If you come across a male and he is a Tia or a Nunh, the fellow is most certainly a Seeker."

Haurchefant's eyebrows lift a little at that, blinking at the revelation. E'zarh Tia had all but given him the answer. "Truly? I realized there must have been a pattern to your names, but couldn't quite figure out what. My research proved fruitless in that front."

E'zarh nods, ears so slightly tilting further in Haurchefant's direction. "They correspond to his standing within his tribe. Yes, within the E, I was a Tia."

"_Was_?" Haurchefant finds the question slipping from his grasp before he has time to even process it. It is only by Halone's blessing that he is capable of suppressing the grimace that nearly followed.

"Oh... Aye," he answers, eyes drifting downwards, once again eclipsing themselves beneath the brim of his hat. "I... would not return."

Haurchefant swallows. Perhaps, he's stumbled upon something he shouldn't have. The way his friend has all but withdrawn into himself is proof enough. By his hubris, he'd unearthed a memory that pricked at the hero's heart still. That just would not do.

"Still, that you are a Seeker of the Sun... how splendid. A most fitting title I could not imagine," Haurchefant makes certain to flash him a smile; the genuine article, of course, he couldn't  _ not _ smile in the presence of his dear friend, yet also a deliberate one, hoping to invite him out of whatever dark corner he's dug in his mind.

He knows it worked when E'zarh lifts his head slightly, ears twitching inquisitively. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean  _ you _ , of course! The golden colour of your hair, the warm tones of your voice— Why, when you walk into a room, it's as if the light of the sun is peeking through the clouds to shine upon those in your presence," Haurchefant answers in earnest, a self-satisfied expression plain on his face. Of course the man is a Seeker of the Sun; it's shine follows him wherever he goes.

There's an odd strain to E'zarh's voice when he replies, "I'm— Truly, such praise is excessive..."

"Not at all!" Haurchefant protests, hands gesturing warmly toward him. "Believe me when I say, you are as the sun itself, my friend!"

Said friend looks up at him in full, now, wide eyes blinking up at him in naked shock. His cheeks appear a little darker, too, brown neatly complemented by a deep shade of red. Haurchefant can't help but smile further; yes, the hero deserves to feel flattered not just by himself, but by all around him.

"His hair is more bordering on ginger than golden," comes a muffled, stupefied voice, startling them out of their private conversation. "You truly did forget we were still here, did you not."

It wasn't a question, for the man saying it knew it to be true. Yes, Haurchefant realized now, E'zarh had indeed come with his closest companions, fellow Scions Nadalo Manidalo and Sam the Stoic. When had he so thoroughly let their presence slip away from his mind, so focused on E'zarh as he was? It's not as if they weren't just as worthy of admiration as their betailed companion.

At the startled expressions thrown at him, Sam rolls his eyes. (Or, that is an educated guess from his part, based on his body language alone; it was hard if not impossible to see the man's eyes beyond his helm.) "Helpless is what you are. Pray get yourselves a roo—"

Nadalo swiftly stops the man in his tracks with a cane to the chin. Quite effective, using their height difference to his advantage, if somewhat brute coming from a man of the cloth. "Pay this idiot no mind. Don't interrupt your conversation on our account, tis not our intent to be a bother."

"Ah... No, that's quite alright," Haurchefant relents, feeling some of the electric energy leave his body. Whatever tense mood they had built up had been thoroughly broken, even if Haurchefant couldn't quite identify what exactly had grown between them. "I meant not to keep you from your duties for this long. Surely you've warmed up enough to continue your journey, now."

"Aye,  _ quite _ ," Sam spits pointedly at E'zarh, though his voice betrays some amusement. The Miqo'te's ears twist to lie flat against the brim of his hat. It's a look of embarrassment, but Haurchefant spares a moment to consider how _adorable_ it looks.

Nadalo rolls his eyes, clearly not entertaining the warrior's antics. "We shall take our leave, then, if it pleases you?"

E'zarh seems to hesitate for a moment, but ultimately nods at his two partners. "We are grateful as always for your hospitality, Lord Haurchefant."

The title feels like both fire and ice in Haurchefant's veins. He dares not examine why might that be; not yet. Instead, he flashes the usual smile. "Nothing of it! You three are always welcome here, as are your friends. Do not hesitate to reach out, you shall have bed and hearth for as long as I remain here."

"One shall surely have need of  _ a  _ bed soon enough," Sam says with a sly, teasing tone, the double meaning not escaping Haurchefant's ears. He found he was definitely not opposed to the idea of sharing his bed with the Miqo'te, and that revelation didn't surprise him much.

He couldn't imagine  _ anyone _ would pass that opportunity up.

"Be safe, Lord Haurchefant," Nadalo cuts off his friend once again, graciously parting with a bow, and Haurchefant responds in kind.

He watches the three walk out the door, backs framed by the white, frigid skies.

To his surprise, E'zarh stops at the threshold, turning around to shyly nod a second farewell, ears flicking at the cold air. Ever graceful, Haurchefant nods back with a smile.

Although E'zarh had walked out, the warmth he left in his wake lingered, secure in Haurchefant's chest. So did the sun shine bright upon Coerthas once more, he muses as he forces himself to get back to work.

Ah, this infatuation would be the end of him.

  
  
  
  


"That man is going to break his heart."

Yabusame blinks down at the man's sudden voice. He finds the lalafellian conjurer glaring daggers into the fire pit. "Really? That big puppy of an Elezen?"

Nadalo's eyes break away from the fire to squint up at Yabusame, an eyebrow raising in question. "Aye, who else?"

Truly, he had a hard time imagining something like that. Haurchefant seemed to all but adore the young Miqo'te that was currently sleeping in their tent. "...That one of your mother-given visions?"

At that, the shadows under Nadalo's eyes seem to grow, as he turns his gaze back into the lowering flames. The lighting in Mor Dhona made him look almost ghastly. "I do not know how it happens, or when. All I know is this ends in tears."

Yabusame almost wants to laugh at that. "Don't all relationships of that sort?"

"...Too often do I find myself worrying for your social life," is the answer he gets.

He scoffs. As if Nadalo didn't know the Scions were his first real friends in a decade. "You don't get much of a social life when you look the way I do."

"...I'll concede that much."

"So, our overly-friendly Elezen heartbreaker," he swerves the conversation back to where it started, privately amused at the brief flash of relief that crosses Nadalo's expression. "What will you do about it?"

Nadalo furrows his eyebrows, deep in thought. "I am not certain. E'zarh may be young, but he is an adult."

He couldn't argue with that, but that wasn't Nadalo's full answer. Something was eating away at him.

"I know not why, how, or when, only that it will  _ hurt _ . And yet, is it my place to prevent that? Is it my place to... protect him?" Nadalo absently tugs at his sleeves as he mutters, getting his thoughts in order. "I see how he smiles when they're together, and find that my resolve falters."

"...Is it worth losing that happiness for something as uncertain as that," Yabusame translates, his tail twitching at the thought. "That is difficult to answer."

"Why does She give me such visions, I wonder, when I so often can do nothing about what I see," Nadalo sighs. "There must be a reason, and yet..."

"...If he has a shot at happiness, even if it is brief," Yabusame says after a moment, looking up at the horizon, that odd crystalline tower just barely visible, "It is not our place to stop it before it even has a chance to be."

It still weighs on Nadalo's heart, even if he knows it to be true, nodding to Yabusame in agreement. Even if it would deeply hurt their younger companion, perhaps it would be worth it, to prioritize the happiness of  _ now _ rather than the unclear misery of  _ then _ . It is a resolution, even if one that doesn't completely satisfy him.

After all, a smile better suits a hero.


End file.
